Okanagan Wines—Canadian Vintages on the Rise!
Posted on May 13, 2010 By Joseph
Since 1870, British Columbia’s Okanagen Valley has been the fruit basket of Canada. Fully one third of the fruit grown in the country comes from the Okanagen. During harvest seasons that range from June until October cherries, peaches, apricots, plums, pears and more than fifteen varieties of apples hang heavy in the orchards. Yet the crop that has produced the most news in the last dozen years is the fruit of the vine.
Although Father Pandosy planted the first vineyard in 1860 and wine has been produced commercially in the valley since 1926, until recently the wines of the Okanagen were associated more with jugs and hangovers than beverages fit to grace the tables of the fine dining establishments in Kelowna, Summerland and Penticton.
Since 1988 the more than eighty wineries of the Okanagen have dedicated themselves to producing premium vintages. In the area’s semi-arid climate the process has been slow, but steady. Gradually the wineries are sifting through the forty-five different grape varietals available to them to find the few that will eventually dictate the style of the region. For the reds Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay Noir, and the particularly Canadian Maréchal Foch head the list while Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewûrztraminer and Chenin Blanc produce the best quality whites.
A wine lover in search of the Okanagen style will discover a wine region in transition with a wide diversity of styles. In this environment a wine’s taste is winery specific. The area’s warm summer days and cool nights produce a consistent fruit-forward experience, yet how the fruit turns is at the whim of the wine maker.
And that’s the Okanagen’s charm. The act of exploration and discovery is part of the fun of touring this wine region. As opposed to Napa Valley, its famous cousin to the south, the Okanagen Valley presents visitors with a chance to meet up close and personal the special men and women that are carving out a premier wine industry here. Along the way, the visitor can partake of numerous activities from golf, boating, hot air ballooning and hiking to excursions to the wineries by bike or limousine. The adventure takes place in a glorious lake and mountain setting where a Canadian welcome adds to the Okanagan’s yearly warmth of 2,000 hours of sunshine.
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